


Unsung Shinobi: The Story of Team 20

by SlowMovingSloth



Category: Naruto
Genre: Multi, Not Naruto Epilogue Compliant, Not Naruto Gaiden Compliant
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2016-09-12
Updated: 2016-11-08
Packaged: 2018-08-14 14:37:18
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 5
Words: 10,774
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8017828
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/SlowMovingSloth/pseuds/SlowMovingSloth
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>This is story I wrote for my friends and their Naruto OCs. We are working very hard on it and it will try to be as close to canon as possible! We hope you enjoy it!</p><p>This is the story of three shinobi of the Leaf Village. Each with their own ninja way and dream for the future. Follow as these rag tag group of kids transform the lives of all those around them while making their Sensei's life a living hell. Hikari and Marasu are members of the Yamashita clan, with a kekkei genkai of their own. But is it enough for Marasu? Can Hikari follow in her father's footsteps without falling into madness? Their teammate and friend Toshiro Hyuga tries to follow his pacifist ways in a bloody world. Will he be able to create peace within his clan and the world?</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Enter Team 20: Cocky, Cheerful, and Cautious

**Author's Note:**

> This will cover the whole Naruto manga/anime including movies as well. 
> 
> Hikari is the same age as Naruto and friends.
> 
> Toshiro and Masaru are two years older than them.

Jiro Ishimoto scowled at his reflection in a passing window. The navy forehead protector gleamed under the lights of the Kohnan school. It was uncomfortable, itchy against his forehead. In fact his whole damn outfit was one big discomfort. The navy pants and top were warmer than what he wore before, and the green flak jacket was nothing compared to his light grey ANBU vest. _“Damn Danzo and his posse of old shits.”_ Jiro cursed in his mind. He was suppose to be leading a squad of highly trained black op agents not babysitting a bunch of kids. Jiro sighed angrily running his left hand through his sandy brown hair. _“This is a load of pig shit,”_ he thought as he climbed up the stairs to the third floor of the school. Jiro was a world class trap master and infiltrator, yet due to one little accident he was “re-assigned” to oversee the training of some genin. Team 20, which consisted of the typical two boys one girl ratio. They were interesting enough, Jiro couldn't say they didn’t have potential. But this was not what he was trained to do, the idea of teaching made him sick.

He stopped and sat down at a bench on the third floor landing before he continued any further. He pulled a scroll from the pouch on his belt and unrolled it across his lap. The scroll contained all the information he needed to know about his assigned students.

The first listed was Toshiro Hyuga: a branch member of the famous Hyuga clan. Apparently he has shown remarkable chakra control as well as decent mastery of his kekkei genkai. He was said to be quite charming and polite in and out of class, but in terms of combat he always expressed to Iruka how he would prefer to not be up front. Strange, considering the Hyuga clan was known for their gentle fist style. In fact, the boy had mention learning medical ninjutsu instead. Rare for a Hyuga, branch or otherwise. He would take a lot of convincing if Jiro was to get the young Hyuga battle ready. It also seemed that despite his pacifist nature he has been able to knock out a couple of other boys picking on another classmate. The kid was scary strong, he just never uses his strength.

The next kid was Masaru Yamashita: a cocky fighter from the once nomadic Yamashita clan. He too possessed a kekkei genkei involving the manipulation and solidification of his chakra. Apparently he also trained in the art of kenjutsu in a style that paralleled the samurai from the Land of Iron. Not surprising considering that is where the Yamashita clan originated. The kid was know for close combat fighting and his speed, but lacked humility and patience. He preferred to take an enemy head on in burst of heavy damage dealing attacks than plan, something Jiro hated as a trap master. None of the less, he was always calm, cool, and logical no matter what was thrown his way. Masaru had definitely earned his place as top of the class.

The last genin was Hikari Yamashita: another member of the Yamashita clan who excelled in school. In fact, she skipped a few years and was only 10 years old. Jiro had seen younger graduates from the academy but it concerned him that her records said she slowed her pace once in her brothers class. Family issues always made things more difficult. Luckily for Jiro she wasn’t like Masaru, if anything she tended to choose paths of training that balanced out her brother. She was proficient with a naginata, another samurai weapon, and tended to hang back as a defender. Her kekkei genkai in fact involved both yin and yang release allowing her chakra creations of the four celestial guardians to become living, tangible, creatures. That made them more independent than her brother’s and Jiro could use her for recon. Meaning he could get some form of a plan together quickly before Masaru charged in. Hell, even her personality seem to counteract Masaru. Despite a quite dark sense of humor for someone of her age, Hikari seem to always be smiling and looking out for her classmates. She used creative solutions to solve her problems and had high adaptability in order to handle her brother. The only issues she seemed to have was daydreaming too much and her use of feelings rather than logic when making choices. This would sometimes lead her emotions to get the better of her. Iruka also noted that while both of her teammates had physical power, Hikari had more willpower and refused to give up. Her description continued to go on, longer than the boys. Not surprising given her situation.

Jiro sighed again as he rolled up the scroll and put it back in his pouch. He had to face these kids eventually, so he might as well get it done with. Jiro slowly walked down the hall till he made it to the right room. When he opened the sliding wood door, his day went to bad to worse. There in the lecture seats sat three kids staring at him, each looking rather guilty. The young Hyuga was fair skinned which did little to hide the beet red shame on his face. His lavender pupiless eyes were wide and fearful. He looked down when he met Jiro’s eyes and ran a hand through short messy brown hair to adjust the protector on his forehead. The next set of eyes he met were striking steel blue and filled with glee. He could practically hear the giggling their owner was trying to suppressed. Hikari was a tall girl for her age group, her long black hair was tied up away from her face, revealing her big ol’ eyes and matching smile. She looked sweet but Jiro wasn’t fooled, she was definitely one who would jump right in on a prank. Jiro shifted his gaze to her older brother, Masaru, who greeted him with a smug smile and a superior look in his onyx eyes. Jiro frowned as the boy snicker and nodded toward the chalkboard in the front of the room. Jiro’s jaw dropped at the chalk art in front of him. There were three chalk renditions of Toshiro, Masaru, and Hikari all labeled and signed by Hikari herself. Then larger than the rest was what Jiro could only guess was a penis innuendo with a butt, and in said butt was another penis looking thing. It looked rather stupid, but what made it worse was that it was labeled with his name. Jiro pinched the bridge of his nose, this crude drawing was not done by Hikari but her shit of a brother. “Masaru, erase it. All of it. Now,” Jiro said sternly. Masaru simply shrugged and made a few hand signs before two thin red chakra tendrils morphed from his back, it was his spirit release jutsu. They stretched across the room to grab two erasers to clean up. Jiro didn’t care how he did it, he just wanted it done before anyone else saw it.

“Now, while that is being done I would like to introduce myself and ‘get to know you better’. I am Jiro Ishimoto, you can call me Jiro sensei...I guess. Look this isn’t my typical duties but if I am going to teach you, I expect you all to work your asses off. In return I will try my best to support you and keep you alive.”

“Wait..what do you mean keep us alive!” Toshiro asked a little shocked.

“Well, I’m used to B and A rank missions with the occasional S ranked. This boring D rank B.S won’t cut it for me. So I expect you guys to work hard and move to C rank asap. You are all talented, you can handle it. Well, as long as I am there to watch you.” Jiro replied while walking over to sit on the desk positioned in the middle of the demonstrating area.

“Are you going to train us before throwing us to the wolves?” Toshiro asked, his voice was strained.

“Well, kid you did say you wanted to learn medical ninjutsu. Tweedle dee and dumb over there will probably need it once I am through with training them,” Jiro said jerking his thumb over to Hikari and Masaru.

“Oh this should be fun!” Hikari cheered clapping her hands together. Toshiro just gaped at her, while her brother laughed and patted her head.

“Couldn’t have said it better myself Hika-chan,” Masaru said beaming with pride. “Well, whatever you got old man I can take, I will become a powerful ninja one day. Screw Hokage I'm shooting for Sannin!”

“O-Old man? But I’m only 27...” Jiro muttered to himself.

While the trio of kids began expressing their interest of different fighting types the two tendrils had finished cleaning off the board and now held the two dust filled erasers tightly. They kept close to the ground as they wiggle toward Jiro. The slid up the desk and straightened up at eye level slightly behind Jiro’s right shoulder.

“Hey boss-sama I finished cleaning, take a look!” Masaru shouted causing Jiro to quickly turn his head to look over to his right. The man was greeted to a cloud of chalk dust as the two tendrils clapped the erasers in his face. Jiro coughed and hopped off the desk. He rapidly wiped the white powder from his face trying to get it away from his eyes. His anger bubbled over as Masaru and Hikari’s laughing rung in his ears. Toshiro began to repeatedly apologize and berate his teammates for being immature. Hikari and Masaru stopped laughing though the moment they realized Jiro had become still and silent. The tension in air grew thick and the silence was making all three genin uncomfortable. “Jiro-Sensei...are you..” Hikari began, regret could be heard in her voice. Jiro simple put his hand up ordering her to stop. Jiro took a deep breath in and out.

“ALRIGHT MAGGOTS OUT SIDE NOW I WANT YOU RUNNING TILL YOU PUKE!” he shouted as he threw small bag snaps (hidden gods know where) in their general direction landing some direct hits. All three genin screamed as they stumbled about trying to avoid the onslaught of the popping paper balls of pain. Hikari simply jumped out an open window with out a second though as Masaru and Toshiro bolted out the door. Jiro chased after them down the halls laughing maniacally till they got to the school yard. True to his word, Jiro ran their asses till the evening closed in and it was time for team pictures.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Two years later Jiro Ishimoto smiled while looking at the picture. He was sitting on his deck railing that overlooked the main square of Kohnan. All of the kids look beat, hair messy and eyes tired. Still all four wore a smile, and Jiro couldn't help but chuckle looking at the white chalk dust that was still in his hair by picture time. He put the picture back in one of his flak jacket pockets before heading off to meet Team 20. They still had over a month to go before the Chunin exams in Leaf Village. Just enough time for one big mission, then the kids would be asked to help run the exams. They had been chunin for a year after all, and it was time for them to take on a bigger role for the Leaf.


	2. New Mission: Friend or Foe

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Team 20 gets bored while waiting for Jiro Sensei. When he does arrive he brings news of their next mission, one that will be more challenging than it seems...as always.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I use the English translation of the village as of now. That will probably change as I get more comfortable with the Naruto universe. Also I always make edits of anything I post so if you see any errors or have suggestions please feel free to let me know!

Toshiro, Masaru, and Hikari sat patiently in a tree next to a small river. The sun beamed through the leaves that created intricate shadows on their faces. It was a beautiful day out so they didn’t mind waiting for their Sensei this time. This was their normal meeting spot right next to the red bridge under or in the giant oak tree. Toshiro was sitting crossed legged on the lowest branch as Masaru lounged on the one above. Hikari was jumping from branch to branch around the tree. Masaru yawned loudly as he spun a kunai around his index finger.

 

“Why must this take so long,” He muttered watching the kunai spin round and round.

 

“Well, at least it isn’t raining,” Hikari said cheerfully while hanging upside down from her current branch.

 

“You know how long he takes Masaru. Jiro Sensei wants every detail possible,” Toshiro said matter-of-factly. “Though I never thought he would be late,”

 

“According to Naruto, Kakashi Sensei is the latest of the late. Maybe he is rubbing off on Jiro Sensei?” Hikari pondered. “I mean they are friends right, they were both furries once.”

 

Masaru burst out laughing clutching his sides as his laughter grew louder. Hikari couldn’t help but giggle at her own joke and Toshiro just sighed shaking his head.

 

“ANBU, Hika-chan. Those mask are not for... _that_ ,” Toshiro corrected, though he didn’t know why he even bothered.

 

“Eh I don’t know, some of those guys get really into it. One had a dog for his mask and he barked when he fought,” Hikari said shrugging.

 

“Oh for fu- and how did you find yourself in the middle of a fight with an ANBU agent,” Toshiro exclaimed while Masaru was still laughing.

 

“First off it was their training, and Mama wanted me to go take some groceries to Uchiha and I got distracted by this really pretty bird. I don’t know how but one moment I am chasing a bird then the next I am in the ANBU training yard. There was this guy in a dog mask barking while he fought a girl in an owl mask. I’m telling you those ANBU people do some crazy shit,” Hikari said.

 

“Next birthday, Hika-chan, I am getting you a child leash,” Masaru said finally recovering from his laughing fit. “Then I can keep track of you, it will become my new chore: walking my sister.”

 

“Sorry brother, but I am saving leashes and such for my future husband,” Hikari said straight-faced.

 

“Fucking shit,” Masaru cursed before going into another laughing fit which almost threw him off his branch. Toshiro meanwhile went paler than normal and stared wide eyed at Hikari.

 

“HIKARI YOU’RE TWELVE! MASARU WHAT PERVERTED SHIT HAVE YOU SHOWN HER! STOP LAUGHING DON’T ENCOURAGE THIS!” Toshiro yelled reaching up and slapping Masaru in the shoulder.

 

“It wasn’t me! I swear on my honor as a Yamashita,” Masaru said holding one hand up and the other laid over his heart.

 

“Hmmm I guess technically leashes would be something ANBU would be into...I’m asking Sensei when he gets here,” Hikari declared flipping right side up and tightening her ponytail.

 

“Ohhhh no you don’t,” Toshiro said standing up and crossing his arms across his chest. His pale lavender eyes bore into Hikari’s trying to show dominance as team leader. Hikari just stuck her tongue out. “We have been chunin for over a year now Hikari, we need to act like it.”

 

“Hey man, remember she is two years younger than us, let our little kohai be a kid,” Masaru said as he stretched out his arms and yawning again.

 

“I swear you two are such idiots sometimes,” Toshiro sighed pinching the bridge of his nose.

 

“Pshh yeah okay, says the guy whose ass I kicked five times now,” Masaru gloated.

 

“Only because I wanted you to win,” Toshiro muttered.

 

“I’m sorry….come again?” Masaru said lowly. Both guys locked eyes and Hikari could feel the electricity buzz in the air. They glared daggers at each other and time seem to move slowly. Everything was quiet until…

 

“FAAAAANSERVICE!” Hikari sang loudly and burst into a giggling fit.

 

“OH SHUT UP!” the guys yelled leaping at her. She simply scurried around the tree as they followed ranting about how better they were than the other and how they would never go for someone so lowly. Hikari jumped to the ground was about to make a break for it when Jiro Sensei appeared out of thin air. She let out a small yelp and skidded to a halt and landing on her butt.

 

“What the hell are you idiots doing now?” Jiro asked taking in the whole situation before him; his two guys were red face and rambling about how cool they were while Hikari decided to just fully flop on her back and stare at the sky.

 

“Well Sensei we actually have a question about…” Hikari began while still staring at the sky.

 

“THE MISSION, *cough* I mean we were wondering if you could tell us about the mission. We are eager to start,” Toshiro said laughing nervously. Masaru nudged him in the rib and gave him a cheeky grin. Toshiro smacked his arm away and rolled his eyes. Jiro made a mental note to start taking aspirin _before_ the mission briefings.

 

“Well, we got a pretty important assignment. As you three know the chunin exams are coming up and the Leaf is going to be hosting them. Well it seems there is a relatively new power that will be participating. They call themselves the Land of Sound, formally know as the Land of Rice fields. Why Sound? I have no clue, but before you even think about it no damn signing while we fight. It's obnoxious...Hikari I mean it. And no Toshiro don’t bring any of the thousands of instruments you can play, this is a mission not a musical,” Jiro said

 

“Dude, I can play like three instruments…” Toshiro muttered

 

“And I don’t sing while we fight for fun! Well ...okay that’s not entirely true but its strategy!” Hikari exclaimed sitting up to glare at her Sensei.

 

“It’s annoying, and I don’t care if it’s 3 or 3,000. No damn music! This is a serious mission and I expect you to treat it as such!” Jiro demanded.

 

“Pshhhh we always take things seriously,” Masaru said shrugging his shoulders.

 

“I swear you guys are going to give me a stroke by the time I’m 35,” Jiro said rubbing his face in exasperation. “As I was saying, the Land of Sound is new and shady as hell so we are to go there and do some recon. This is a C rank because we shouldn’t run into any trouble, but knowing you three it will somehow escalate to a B rank rather quickly….” Jiro said before trailing off.

 

“So are we leaving today?” Masaru asked

 

“Yeah so go home and get some supplies. We will meet at the front gate in an hour. The journey to their hidden village will take about day since we will want to stop and look around. The mission itself will be another two days. So plan accordingly, you run out of food…” Jiro

 

“We eat dirt!” All three chunin replied together.

 

“Glad to see I taught you something. Alright Team 20, let's do this!” Jiro said. On cue all three kids formed a circle and put a hand in. Jiro smiled softly as he stared at their faces. They were eager to prove themselves as chunin, to finally stop being babied because they passed at a young age. He laid his hand gently on top on the pile they had formed. “1-2-3…” Jiro began the count up.

 

“BREAK!” Hikari, Masaru, and Toshiro shouted before leaping away to gather their things. Jiro slid his hands in the pockets of his blue uniform pants. Dark green eyes fixated on the passing clouds. His students had grown quite a lot since they began training under him and since they began their chunin exams. Now it was their turn to help run the event and keep the people of the Leaf safe. They still had a long way to go though, but it won't be too long till they are asking for recommendations to be joinin.

  
“Heh, they need to slow down sometimes. They only get to be kids once.” Jiro said to himself before he turned heel and strolled away.


	3. Rolling Out: A New Mission To The Land of Sound

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The chunin of Team 20 prepare to roll out to the Land of Sound, but have a few goodbyes to say first.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am trying to incorporate Japanese honorifics and clothing to the best of my abilities. If you have any corrections or suggestions please feel free to let me know!

Toshiro was filling his backpack with various medical supplies in his home gym. The wood floors felt cool against his knees as he continued to retrieve bandages and tape from his medical trunk. The sliding wood doors were open allowing the late morning sunlight to stream in. Toshiro stood up and brushed any dust off his black pants and straightened out his soft blue and white short-sleeved happi coat. He looked at his reflection in the mirror wall to his left and smiled. His lavender eyes studied the navy blue forehead protector that covered up the seal branded on his forehead. It didn’t bother him like it did Neji, if anything he saw the logic in it. His own mother had suffered greatly due to this elitist bull simply because she fell in love with a man who wasn’t a Hyuga. He just wished his family could get along and treat each other with respect. The elders droned on about how strong the clan was but from where he was standing all Toshiro could see was weakness. They would be strong if the social barriers in the clan were taken down and they could be once collective group. He lifted the dark navy backpack and slung it over his shoulders. I had the leaf village symbol embroidered on the top flap in bright red and was made of a hardy canvas. His mother gifted it to him after his chunin exams last summer and it had served him well so far. He double checked the kunai holster on his leg before walking out to the wood walkway that connected the many buildings that made up the Hyuga compound.  As he was locking up the gym a small voice called out to him.

 

“T-Toshiro kun!” Hinata said, her eyes focused on the ground and a light rosy blush displayed on her face.

 

“Oh, hello there Hinata! How are you today?” Toshiro replied. He didn’t call her Lady Hinata or add an honorific to her name, per her request. She was a shy girl and didn’t like to think of herself as above anyone else, a sentiment Toshiro shared with his extended cousin.

 

“I’m...I’m good. I uh, just wanted to give you this...it’s um for your mission,” Hinata spoke softly and bowed as she extended a small drawstring bag to Toshiro. “There is a couple bottles of healing ointment in there.”

 

“Thank you Hinata, knowing Masaru and Hikari they will certainly be useful,” Toshiro chuckled. He took the bag from Hinata and attached it to his belt.

 

“You don’t think..I mean Hikari chan and Masaru sama will be okay..won’t they?” Hinata’s voice shook a little. Toshiro understood her concern, Hikari had quickly befriended the young Hyuga when Masaru had dragged her to his play date with Toshiro many years ago. The two “losers” of the their respective clans had grown close, and the same could be said for Toshiro and Masaru.

 

“Pshhh don’t worry Hinata, Masaru is too quick to hit and has his armor to protect him. Hikari is well...Hikari, I honestly don’t think she understands the word ‘injured’. They are both like a bad cold, you can’t shake them. Besides Sensei and I are there to have their backs. ” He smiled at Hinata who returned it. She walked with him to the front gate of the compound before they parted ways. Hinata to training with her sensei and Toshiro to meet up with the rest of the team.

  


Meanwhile, in the Yamashita compound Masaru and Hikari were packing with their Mom, Grandfather, and Grandmother. Their mother, Kimiko Yamashita, was sitting with her father at the kitchen table doing some last minute stitches to Hikari’s short sleeved happi coat. Hikari was helping Masaru fill baskets up with groceries for their Grandparents to take to families throughout the village. Kimiko looked up from her last stitch at her precious son and daughter.

 

They were washing and drying fruits and veggies from their garden while flicking water in each others faces. She smiled as her own mother scolded them for screwing around and Kimiko’s father looked up from sharpening some kunai and chuckled. Once the disorder stopped Kimiko stood up to hand Hikari her coat, only to become light headed. Her father extended his arm on instinct for Kimiko to stable herself on. _“Just another day,”_ Kimiko thought once she finally felt normal. Luckily Masaru and Hikari hadn’t seen, they were always so concerned for her health. Instead they dried their hands off on each other, and Hikari slipped into the coat. It was the color of storm clouds with a forest green trim. It had their clan symbol patch on the left side over her heart  and the leaf symbol on the back in bright red thread. It matched her brother’s armored jacket of the same colors but his was a zip up with a hood. The happi jacket fit loosely over Hikari’s black and mesh short sleeve shirt and her black leggings. Masaru threw her a wide umber color leather belt and sash the color of red maple leaves to keep the jacket closed. She did a few twirls and giggled at the flow, before she began equiping her light  metal and wood armor on her arms. Masaru bent over to cuff his black pants and tuck them into the shin armor he was equipping. The siblings looked at each other and grinned, they enjoyed the similar outfits and the samurai based armor was always icing on the cake for them. Kimiko couldn’t help but feel a twang of guilt. These were her children and yet they were off going to protect and provide for her. Meanwhile she could only sit and wait.

 

“Hey Hikari, wanna play the ‘who can take down the most’ game?” Masaru said flashing that mischievous grin of his.

 

“Of course! But, isn’t this a recon mission?” Those fair blue eyes of hers looked slightly confused. Kimiko’s breath caught a bit in her throat every time she looked at them. Hikari had her father’s eyes.

 

“Yeah but let's be real here. A new power magically springs up over a year ago, they have had multiple chances for participating in a chunin exam or do joint missions with the major powers like most smaller new villages do. Yet, they wait till now to send members? To our village? Totally not suspicious at all.” Masaru said rolling his onyx eyes.

 

“What do you think Baachan? Jiichan?” Hikari said looking at the older man and older woman who were now loading the baskets into a wagon.

 

“Hmmm I think you two better not get too cocky,” their grandmother said hands across her chest. Her grey hair matched her grey eyes that now glared at Masaru. The young teen just shrugged.

 

“Who me? I am never cocky Jiichan, the very fact you say such a thing wounds me.” Masaru clutched his heart in fake pain. Hikari just giggled as she loaded up the newly sharpened kunai into her brother's thigh holster before passing it on to him.

 

“Mmmm I wouldn’t worry about them love. Masaru is tricky and Hikari is strong. They have each others backs, just like I had yours,” Their grandfather said kissing his wife on the cheek before wheeling the cart out the back door.

 

“Kiss me and you die,” Masaru said jokingly. He slung his katana over over his shoulder and attached a pouch to waist of his pants. Hikari followed suit and attached multiple pouches, filled with scrolls and snacks, to the leather belt before putting on her fingerless gloves. They put on the bright blue ninja shoes before kissing their mom goodbye. They walked with their grandparents to the large market square right outside the compound before heading off to meet with Jiro and Toshiro.

 

“Hey Onee san, do you really think we are going to be fighting on this mission?” Hikari asked as they walked on the rooftops to avoid traffic.

 

“Oh hell yeah. Trust me Hikari, these losers from the Sound are totally trying to stir things up.”

 

“Well then, nothing like people trying to kill you to pass the time.” Hikari said slightly disappointed.

 

“Ha, you sound disappointed Hika-chan,” Masaru said stuffing his hands in his navy pants’ pockets.

 

“I was hoping to try the warging jutsu I have been working on. It is perfect for spying!’ Hikari complained.

 

“Yes because nothing screams convert more than animals made of chakra the color of  pink opal!” Masaru teased.

 

“Oh shut up! At least I can be sneaky, unlike you charging in like a bull in a china shop, and they are white with pink chakra hints asshole!” Hikari muttered.

 

“Hey don’t be jealous. Just because I have awesome chakra armor and tendrils while you make cute little animals,” Masaru said stopping to strike a dramatic flexing pose.  Hikari just face palmed and turned bright red. Just like her older brother to tease and embarrass her. He was an ass of a brother, but he was Hikari’s ass of a brother. Besides, how else should they behave?

 

As Masaru continued chattering on about his awesomeness in an overly dramatic way, a certain knuckleheaded shinobi dressed in bright orange prepared for his attack. His big sky blue eyes narrowed at his target: the giggling black haired kunoichi. He tried to suppress his laughter as he climbed on top of the water tank he was hiding behind. He knew he could make the jump across the street to the opposing rooftops, it was just a matter of timing. With Masaru distracting her now was his chance!

 

“LOOK OUT BELOW!” a familiar voice cried out.

Hikari and Masaru looked up in the sky only to see none other than Naruto Uzumaki plummeting towards Hikari. The girl simply smirked as Naruto closed in on her. The young shinobi held his arms out wide ready to tackle when suddenly, *poof*.

 

There, were Hikari stood was a giant log, a log he was about to painfully land on. Naruto screamed as he faced impending doom, but right before he smacked into the log he was tackled onto the roof by her chakra tigers. One soften the fall while two showered him in kisses. The cold concrete roof top clashed with the warmth  Hikari’s chakra was emitting. Naruto loved messing around with her creations, because they never shied away from him. The sunlight shimmered through the tigers pink stripes, creating dancing patterns around the three shinobi.

  
“Okay...okay haha you win Hikari chan!! Just get these guys off me,” Naruto called out between laughing fits and tiger love. Hikari who had moved to the other side of the roof top simply whistled and the three big cats ran over to her. Masaru helped Naruto to his feet as Hikari released her jutsu before joining them.

 

“Nice try Naruto kun but uh maybe don’t shout when you try to sneak attack,” Hikari said as she came up and ruffled Naruto’s hair. He swatted her hand away and stretched his arms above his head.

 

“Yeah, yeah whatever if I didn’t warn you I would have missed that look on your face when I finally caught you. Anyway, I was wondering if you could help me train today Hikari. I’ll pay for your ramen this time!” Naruto said.

 

“Uggg I want that ramen but I’m sorry I can’t today!” Hikari said dropping her head. She loved training with Naruto it was a hell of a lot more fun than with Jiro Sensei, and a lot less dangerous.

 

“Yeah sorry kid, we got us a nice C rank to do today.” Masaru said slipping his hands in his pockets rocking back and forth on the balls of his feet.

 

“WHAT A C RANK! AGAIN!” Naruto shouted causing the pedestrians on the street to look up at the commotion. “You just had a C rank last week and a B rank before that! Why do you guys get all the good jobs!” He pointed to Masaru.

 

“Heh, well I guess it’s cause we are just that good. D rank are genin anyway,  and face it kid you just don’t have what it takes...for now that is,” Marasu said giving Naruto his infamous cocky smirk and wink combo.

 

“Naruto kun is better than you think Onee san,” Hikari said shooting her brother a disapproving look. “But yes, I’m afraid Masaru is right Naruto. We are just a higher ranking than your team right now, that’s why we get the more dangerous missions. You’ll get one soon hun, and when you do you gotta promise me you’ll use your harem jutsu at least once!” Hikari flashed Naruto a smile. She knew he could do one soon, he just needed someone to believe in him. Though Hinata was always cheering him on the girl was too shy to tell him so. That where Hikari came in, a personal cheerleader of sorts. Like Lee, with less eyebrow.

 

“Ehhh fine whatever, have fun on your stupid mission. I guess I’ll just be here...alone...with no one to eat ramen with. So cold and alone…” Naruto said lowering his head.

 

“BAKA!” Hikari said hitting him on the head. “Don’t say such things, I can’t just quit a mission I need the money! How else will I cover your ass for dinner!”

 

“Heh okay you got me there.” Naruto said rubbing his head. “But you better be kicking ass out their Hikari! Don’t let that guy,” cue dramatic pointing to a bored Masaru “steal the show! Because remember you're gonna be my left hand man when I become Hokage. Believe it!”

 

“Wait why left?” Masaru said snapping his attention back to the conversation.

 

“Well I’m right handed,” Naruto said holding up his right hand.

 

“And I am left handed,” Hikari said gesturing with her left hand.

 

“I know that you idiots, but that still doesn’t make sense,” Masaru said slapping both their hands down.

 

“Well, he sucks with his left hand, and I suck with my right. So together we can balance each other out.” Hikari simply said.

 

“You do realize ‘right hand man’ or ‘left hand man’ doesn’t legit mean you be his left hand?” Masaru said face palming.

 

“Well duh, we aren’t stupid!” Naruto retorted, “but I can’t do everything by myself!”

 

“I mean, why not have a left hand too, like someone who does the things he can’t. A right hand can do things in place of the Hokage but the left hand can do things the Hokage can’t.” Hikari explained.

 

“You two put way too much thought into this…” Masaru said shaking his head. “But at least you aren’t doing drugs...even if you two sound high half the time.” Masaru muttered the last part before taking Hikari’s arm dragging her away from Naruto.

 

“Noooooooo,” Hikari groaned

 

“Yeeeeeessssss,” Masaru said. “Bye Naruto, we will see ya when we get back. Good luck on your training kid, I better see your face up on that damn cliff someday.”

 

“Oh don’t worry it will be! Believe it! See ya Masaru! Bye Hikari chan, bring me back something cool!” Naruto shouted to them while waving goodbye rapidly.

 

“Bye Naruto kun! Remember: Never give up! We WILL be the best damn shinobi in the Leaf one day!” Hikari replied before squirming out of Masaru’s grasp. Both siblings gave a small wave before dashing out of sight.

 


	4. A lesson learned: What's Nature Release?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Growing tired of bickering, Jiro stops his team for an important lesson about chakra. The paper test ensues.

Team 20 had left the village about three hours ago and Jiro already had a headache. True, the past two years he had grown to like the kids but damn were they still annoying in their own special way. Toshiro still had issues confronting the enemy and had resolved to staying out of fights completely, leaving his teammates to attack. Toshiro knew the gentle fist style but he was too soft to use it majority of the time. He had spent the past two hours arguing with Masaru about not being so violent and that fighting was not something to excited for. Masaru was a lofty little shit that had trouble respecting his teammates different learning styles and ideas. He cared a lot about them no doubt, but Masaru always had trouble understanding that they had feelings he needed to account for. Though he was 14 now and even more skilled than before, his inability to let his teammates occasionally take the lead was exhausting to deal with. When Toshiro said he wanted to take point on this mission Masaru instantly blew him off, leaving Jiro stuck listening to their fighting. It was if their bodies grew but the two boys were no better at getting along on missions than they did two years ago. Then, there was Hikari. She was no more than a mere child when she was placed with him two years ago and she was still seen as a 10 year old in her teammates eyes. Not that she did much to prove them wrong. She rarely ever stepped up to be leader and always let them steamroll her in training so they would be happy. Jiro knew how much growth she had done in the past two years far surpassed the boys’, but she never saw it. Her low self esteem caused her to focus on her failures and not her progress. This led her to lose her emotional balance and in turn control of her jutsu. It irritated Jiro to no end how often the team would fall apart due to lack of teamwork. Yeah they got their higher rank missions done, but only because he was there to keep them on the right track. Honestly, Jiro was surprise they all passed their chunin exam last year.

It wasn’t all bad though, his kids had their strengths too. Toshiro’s medical ninjutsu was far beyond the level of shinobi his age due to focusing his training on it instead of the traditional Hyuga style. He was intelligent and charming but never fake in his intentions; Jiro was sure he would make perfect diplomat. Toshiro was always looking for a way to make peace with others, rarely holding grudges despite the tensions within his own clan. Overall, Toshiro was a good kid and Jiro was proud of how strong of a shinobi he was turning into.

Masaru too had surpassed the other shinobi his age. He took his training seriously and it had incredible results. His chakra control, though not as good as Toshiro’s, was...smart. Masaru always seem to know just how much chakra to put into specific pieces of his Spirit Armor depending on the timing and strength of the attack. He also increased the number of tendrils he could create; he was at 5 now and they were not as flimsy as they use to be. Even his speed and physical strength had dramatically increased allowing him to take out multiple targets in a matter of seconds. If Masaru was a few years older, Jiro would have him apply to be ANBU.

Hikari had grown the most because she had the most room to improve. She could create all four celestial guardians from the legends and maintain multiple numbers of them. Each animal also had its own skills and personalities types that Hikari created out of her own imagination. It was slightly scary if Jiro was being honest. She also started to learn Fuinjutsu behind her family's back, something Jiro was happy to support her on. She mostly used it to seal her naginata, (which she was also skilled with), in a scroll along with other supplies but Jiro knew the girl had a lot more planned. She also opened up to her team, allowing them to hear her out and implicate her ideas, despite how strange they could be. Like her brother she was quick, but not as physically strong. What she lacked in strength she made up for in endurance and agility. The girl would outlast anyone in a fight, in fact she said her nindo way was to never give up. And oh boy did she keep to it.

No doubt these kids were top notch students, and despite his complaining Jiro wouldn't trade them for anyone else. In fact he had become rather fond of them, not that they needed to know that. He just wanted them to fulfill their goals and hopefully lead the Hidden Leaf into an age of relative peace. Of course, he had to kick their asses first if they were to become strong shinobi, which he considered to be one of the best parts of the job. In fact, since the arguing was driving Jiro insane, he decided to stop and do some ass kicking now. He had prepared a lesson for them since he figured the mission would be pretty tame.   This meant they were going to be bored out of their minds and in turn annoying as hell.

 

“Alright you two enough! We will stop for a break as soon as I find a clearing, and by me I mean you Toshiro.” Jiro called back to the boys behind him.

 

“Yes Jiro Sensei” Toshiro said before activating his Byakugan. Toshiro looked past the trees of the forest to a clearing slightly to their left and up about 2 kliks. “We should be coming up to a decently open area soon, follow me.” Toshiro veered off to the left leading them to the clearing. The team jumped off the branches they had been traveling on landing on soft green grass. The clearing was a simple grassy patch in the middle of dense forest but it was big enough for all them to train.

 

“Alright kiddos drop your shit on the ground and gather around you’re gonna learn today!” Jiro said with a smile. The team just shot him a wry look before setting their various pouches and packs by a big oak tree.

 

“What are you planning old man…” Masaru said narrowing his eyes at Jiro.

 

“Oh would you just stop being suspicious and get over here already, it’s about chakra.”

 

“Sounds boring...so Toshiro you should like it!” Masaru teased and Toshiro just rolled his eyes.

 

“You won't think it’s boring when you learn to breath fire or smash someone’s head in with a bolder.” Jiro said smirking and crossing his arms .

 

“Hey don’t you smash people with rocks Jiro Sensei?” Hikari asked tilting her head to the side in curiosity.

 

“Nature releases allow me to do such things Hikari, and that's what I plan to teach you about today. Or well, attempt to teach you. Maybe you will be a earth user like me and you too can smash your enemies into the ground.” Jiro replied

 

“Yes because that is what Hikari needs...you know the more scary shit you guys teach her the more likely she will be single.” Masaru muttered

 

“Isn’t that what the big brothers usually want?” Toshiro asked.

 

“What disgusting sister complex shit are you reading?” Masaru muttered

 

“Point taken,” Toshiro replied.

 

“Okay shut up, I'm teaching now.” Jiro said as the kids gathered. “I need you to take a piece of this paper,” He said opening a small pouch full of white paper squares.

 

“Wow this is just so riveting,” Masaru said sarcastically picking out a paper.

 

“Dumb ass I haven’t even gotten to the activity yet,” Jiro said glaring. “Okay now hold it either between your fingers or your hands and focus your chakra into it.” All three chunin placed the papers between their palms and focused. “Alright now then do you feel anything happening…”

 

“OH GOD WHY ARE MY HANDS ALL WET!” Toshiro shouted frantically bouncing about. “WHAT TYPE OF WEIRD SHIT DID YOU DO THIS TIME SENSEI!”

 

“Calm down and cup your hands lemme see,” Jiro said gruffly. Toshiro obeyed and Jiro’s eyes widen. Sure enough in Toshiro’s palms, the paper square clung to his hands soaking wet. “Congrats kid you may be one of the few people in the leaf with a water release affinity.”

 

“Huh?” Masaru and Hikari said.

 

“Do you guys ever pay attention in class? It means that water release is my strongest nature release so I will excel at water related jutsu. But why are you so surprised?” Toshiro said turning his attention to Jiro.

 

“I don’t know I expected something like wind or maybe fire,” Jiro said scratching the back of his head. “Some families have passed their affinities on, other shinobi have a release related to the nation they come from.”

 

“Hey, Toshiro kun, isn’t your papa from the Land of Water?” Hikari asked still keeping her hands shut tightly.

 

“According to mother, that’s right. I guess it’s not so strange after all.” Toshiro replied.

 

“Nah you're still a weirdo.” Masaru said laughing.

 

“Oh yeah smart ass, lets see what you got,” Jiro said. Masaru opened up his hands to reveal a crinkled paper.

 

“Uh onee chan….I think you squeezed to hard,” Hikari said

 

“Heh actually Hikari the crinkling of the paper means that your brother has an affinity towards lightning release,” Jiro corrected.

 

“Fucking sweet...heh knew I’d get the best. Prepare to learn some kick ass combos Toshiro!” Masaru said smugly.

 

“Oh right! Water can conduct lightning!” Toshiro exclaimed.

 

“That's why you don't put a toaster in the bath tub!” Hikari added.

 

“Uhhhh yeah…sure kid sure” Jiro said slowly. “Anyway moving on….Hikari what have you got?” Hikari open up her hands hesitantly. Inside was the paper split perfectly in two. “Well I’d be damn you really are opposites, your brother and you,” Jiro said laughing a bit. Hikari just stared at her feet.

 

“Whadda mean?”  Masaru said stuffing his hand in his pockets and giving his Sensei a confused look.

 

“You see dummy, there are nature releases that are strong against some and weak against others. In this case wind release is a strong counter to lightning. Water is weak against lightning but also can be used to complement it. Like you said Masaru, combined with Toshiro’s water release your attacks can be even deadlier.” Jiro explained.

 

“Ha well I don’t have to worry about that. Hikari can’t, nor will she ever, beat me. She’s a good sis, she wouldn't attack me.” Masaru said with confidence. “Family bonds bitch!” Hikari didn’t say anything but just look away.

 

“Hey don’t be a dick!” Toshiro said giving Masaru  a swift bop on the head. Masaru shouted and leapt away rubbing the bump now growing at the crown of his head. Before the two could begin arguing again Jiro made a few hand seals before punching his fist into the ground.

 

“EARTH SHATTER NO JUTSU!” he shouted and a fissure tore between the two boys. They both screamed and lost balance falling to the ground.

 

“HEY WHAT WAS THAT FOR,” They both shouted.

 

“Shut up and pay attention! Now I know water release and wind so it shouldn't be too hard for me to start giving exercises to Hikari and Toshiro. But Masaru I hope you like to read cause I got a lot of scrolls for you to use. Have fun kiddo!” Jiro said tossing a few he had in his pouch to the wide eyed Yamashita boy. Masaru groaned and didn’t bother trying to catch the scrolls letting them bounce and roll on the ground. “Alright now let's get started!”

  
“HAI JIRO SENSEI!” Team 20 shouted before beginning what would be some of their most vigorous training to date.


	5. The Strong and the Weak: Hikari's Secret Pact

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> After failing to even create the chakra necessary to preform wind release techniques, Hikari has a talk with Jiro about furthering her training a different way.

It didn’t take long for Masaru and Toshiro to get their nature techniques down. Toshiro especially accelerated with controlling his chakra allowing him to manipulate the ripples in a small pond Jiro had made for him. Masaru of course dove head first into his training. Despite having to learn from scrolls, Masaru managed to get a few hand seals down before shocking himself into a tree. Jiro just wanted them to learn the basics for now, no need to get carried away. Besides the kids had their KG’s they were proficient with along with their own specialized skills. Still, in case of an emergency Jiro wanted them to be prepared. Even if they wouldn’t use their nature release, knowing how an enemy’s works can give you an edge in battle. Jiro wasn’t planning on any of them perfecting their nature release, but he could see some using it more than others.

The team had gotten back to traveling a couple hours back and now night was starting to creep in. Luckily for them there was a decent sized village only two miles out where they could send someone in to investigate. The Land of Sound was originally a small country where the land was used for farming and rice fields. Jiro did not believe the original villages dotted along the main road to be dangerous or really changed since the land was put under new management, but he could never be too careful. He hated being this paranoid but if the Hokage was serious about inviting shinobi from the Land of Sound they had to investigate thoroughly. No matter how weak or normal a stranger seems you can never be sure. That is why the team could not stay in the villages overnight. They had to have distance between them and these strangers even if the population was just a bunch of innocent farmers. Besides, the darkness of the night could also provide good cover if they did need to investigate and they wouldn’t have to worry about bystanders if a fight broke out.

Jiro had motioned for the team to stop and start making camp. The kids made a collective groaned in relief that there would be no more hiking that day and slumped down next to each other at the base of a tree.

“I think my legs are going to fall off…” Masaru grumbled as his face twisted in discomfort as he tried to stretch out. Toshiro just glanced over to see Masaru try and fail to grab the tips of his toes and smirked.  

“Maybe if you didn’t try and sprint the whole damn time this wouldn’t be a problem,” Jiro stated leaning back against a tree opposite of them.

“Need some help there?” Toshiro asked nodding to Masaru’s legs. Masaru didn’t reply and a light blush had formed in his cheeks. He hated having to be helped, especially by Toshiro. The young Hyuga just chuckled as he began to focus his chakra in his palms and began to relax the muscles in Masaru’s legs. A nice summer breeze came through the trees as the evening sky was beginning to be littered with stars. Hikari had already unrolled a scroll with supplies sealed with in. She had already began to extract compact hammocks for the four of them and tossed them to Jiro to hang up in the trees. It was better to sleep lofted in the air to avoid any altercations with animals or enemies. Hikari liked the hammocks, her sensei had always found a good spot for her that gave her a beautiful view of the stars.

“So old man I actually was able to form some lightning today. Can I move on to some sword play tomorrow? Or maybe some combo action with Nurse Toshi over here?” Masaru winked at Toshiro who just stared at him blankface. A slight change in his chakra levels was all it took for Toshiro to have Masaru yelping in pain. Masaru smacked the Hyuga away and created some distance.

“Permission to use my nature release to drown him?” Toshiro asked glaring at Masaru.

“Denied. Besides you need team working skills before you two can combo anything.”

“Well if he actually fought the enemy during missions it wouldn’t be so bad.” Masaru muttered as he crossing his legs like a pretzel and rested his chin on his hand.

“Sorry for wanting to preserve the gift of life,” Toshiro shot back. The two had a glaring contest and Jiro swore he saw lightning shoot between them.

“FAAAANSERVICE!” Hikari sang as she laid sprawled out on the ground watching clouds pass by.

“Fuck you,” Masaru spat. The two boys however did stop fighting however. Despite Toshiro being a mediator most of the time, he did have a tendency to bicker with Masaru. Then again who didn’t bicker with that kid, Masaru loved debating and thrived off winning.

“ _The breeze will be nice, swinging the hammock like rocking us to sleep. Gods, I am tired but I can’t help but feel as if we are being watched.”_ Hikari thought. She sat up quickly and criss-crossed her legs. Hikari closed her eyes allowing her chakra to slowly flow out of her body and mix with the living world around her. Jiro glanced down from the tree he had jumped into earlier to hang the hammocks and instantly went still. Hikari only did this sort of meditation when she felt an unbalance around her. Despite being banned from following the priestess path he found ways to skirt around her elders and teach Hikari similar tactics the priestesses of her clan used. Hikari could  connect to the world around her by sharing her chakra. It helps extend the range of her aura sense. Hikari was an empath meaning she could read the emotions and feel the pain or joy of those around her. She described it like an aura that surrounds everyone. It fluctuated and changed depending on their mood. It was created by chakra and allowed empaths to access the depths of one’s soul. Hikari hated it. But many descendants of the different priestess lines had some form of supernatural talent. Hell, even Masaru had precognitive dreams at times. Jiro was able to turn what was something she hated into a powerful sensory tool. Processing emotions from chakra was not the normal means of chakra sensing but it worked. A person’s chakra was personal and a means of expressing what dwells within the soul. Hikari could feel another living thing’s chakra and read them. Jiro was training her to look for key emotional or mental stresses that could reveal an enemy in hiding. So far she was doing pretty well, but it took a while due to her blocking this ability on a regular basis so she could stand being in their crowded village.

" _No wait, just those two idiot's sexual tension flooding the world....again"_ Hikari unfolded her legs and just stared bitterly at the two boys in front of her.

Jiro tuned out the two boys who had no clue what was happening and listened for anything that would seem out of place. Other than the wind and the distant low hum of voices from the village not too far away, he heard nothing. Still he encourage his students to use their skills even if nothing comes from it. At least it was practice and if it made Hikari sleep better at night to search then Jiro had no qualms with it. He turned his attention back to the two guys below him. Toshiro must have finished relieving the tension in Masaru’s legs because now both of them were playing some sort of card game. Jiro was pretty sure it was for little kids but every time he confronted the two about playing a children’s card game...well it was an ugly sight. Better than doing drugs or some other stupid shit.

“Hey losers, bring the game up here. Hikari everything’s all set, I’ll take first watch then it’s your turn. Pick whoever the fuck you want to after that. I would suggest Toshiro...he has the decency to not try to smack you when you wake him up…” Jiro trailed off, a phantom ache radiating in his left cheek.

“A guy smacks another guy once and no can seem to let it go..” Masaru grumbled as he collected his deck and put it in his pouch. The kids walked up the tree, to tired to jump, and quietly got ready for bed. Hikari went into mother hen mode making sure teeth were brushed and vitamins taken before being shooed away by her teammates. Once they were all settled in their hammocks everything grew still. Jiro took watch on a branch near the top of a tree while his students were below being rocked to sleep in the wind. The boys tried to continue their duel but soon gave into the weariness of their bodies and passed out about 15 mins later. Jiro finally could relax without this kids, or so he thought. There was a small rustle behind him and he quickly turned on his heels crouching low ready to attack if need be.

“Oh! I’m sorry Sensei I didn’t mean to scare you…” Hikari whispered her eyes widening. She had quietly climbed up the tree and was now at the top with Jiro. Jiro sighed and rubbed the back of his head.

“Well, shit kid just give some warning next time,” Jiro exasperated. “Could of killed ya.”

“I doubt that,” Hikari giggled. Her red forehead protector/scarf was pulled up in its hood form shadowing the top half of her face making the bright blue eyes stand out. Her long black hair was dancing in the breeze. “But, I was wondering do you think we could talk for a moment? It’s...It’s about today…” Hikari looked down at her feet as she was crouched.

“Yeah sure kid, take a seat.” Jiro motioned to a space on the branch next to him as he adjusted himself into a sitting position. Hikari crossed over to his branch and sat, her legs dangled freely. The tree was sparse of leaves at this level giving them a view of the world around them. “So what's on you mind?”

“It’s about what Onee-san said earlier. About beating him...he’s right.”

“What makes you say that?”

“I tried, but failed to even work the basics of the wind release techniques.”

“Well, I don’t think anyone could learn them in a day…” Jiro began.

“ It doesn't matter, in my clan’s history it was always difficult for members with my form of the KG to use nature release techniques. It's part of the natural balance to keep us from being too over powered. I want to bypass this lesson and move on.”

“So you're giving up? Isn’t that going against you ninndo or whatever.”

“I am not giving up just yet, but you know my plans. To go against everything I have been commanded. To follow the path my ancestors have set for me. I need to be ready Sensei. I expect a lot of backlash from this, including from Masaru. I can come back to this later when appropriate. Apparently skilled priest and priestesses, including the high priestess, could use nature release through the their guardians. But I don’t think I need to go that far, honestly I don’t think I need it.”

“No you don’t. It is a waste of your time and mine. There are just some skills you can’t learn. But I would still like to see if we can find a way for you to use that Wind Release. Just as a back up.”

“Hmmmm well maybe I can mix it with something I’m actually good at. Can it make me faster? Or maybe stronger?”

“You are already fast Hikari.”

“But not fast enough! Masaru will just use his lightning and zoom around!” Hikari’s voice rose a little bit as she clenched the trim of her happi coat.

“Why are you so hell bent on beating him?”

“Because I can’t protect someone stronger than me! I can’t beat someone stronger than me. And I can stand up to someone stronger than me!” Hikari’s eyes grew big and her face grew red after realizing what she just let slip. Jiro knew she was having issues within her clan, but he wasn’t aware she was worried about her brother hurting her.

“Hikari, are you scared of your brother?” She didn’t answer at first but her body shook a little. Jiro felt his heart drop a little. The two boys were stronger than her, but only because she was so limited by her clan. They out voiced her and always beat her in training. But she was almost as fast as Gai's student, Lee, and amazingly agile. Still it rarely seemed like enough when one teammate could make armor and the other see the chakra network. “Look, kid. We will train you in secret as best we can. When we get back I can talk to Lord Hokage, he may let us look through the old Uzumaki files and see about some new seals. If you are afraid of Masaru I can assign you to other co-op missions with some of your genin friends.”

“He doesn’t scare me. He makes me mad.” Hikari said lowly glaring into the forest below. “He treats me like a baby on missions, but I want to protect him too. I want to protect all my friends! They are genin now! I know they will grow strong and reject me just like Masaru. I'll just be a burden to them.”

“I understand, well no not really I don't. Child prodigy and all that,” Hikari just rolled her eyes as her sensei chuckled “Kid have you thought about moving out? The separation might be good for your confidence. You wouldn’t have to see him training everyday. And you could practice the fuuinjutsu on your own without worry.” Hikari just laughed a hard bitter laugh. No one woke up but still it startled Jiro.

“Who the hell else would be able to take care of Mom. Masaru is a guy he can’t help her with vital parts of her care. Even my grandparents can’t help due to their age. So yeah sure thought about it but I can’t. Besides I have a good kitchen and supply there. Naruto and Sasuke can’t fucking cook for themselves. Tenten is better than they are and so is Neji but those two guys really suck at it.”

“You still cook for them all?”

“Yes, it’s what our clan does. Provide food for those who can’t afford it or have time to make proper meals.”

“I figured you guys stopped but whatever. Good for the soul I guess.”

“Anyway even if I did move it wouldn’t release the ban on following the priestess path.”

“True, but I think we should talk to the Hokage. I have enough favors piled up for this to work.”

“Don’t waste them on me, I’ll earn my own favors. I’ll talk to Lord Hokage when we get back. Until then is their something else I can do. If not to counter Masaru but support the team as a whole.”

“Well you got your naginata down pat, your guardian beasts and their clones too. But strength wise you are dreadful. Even with your speed, dodging only gets you so far. Work on your strength now, see where that leads. I’m sure Guy gave me his extreme list of taijutsu training at one point, I’ll see if I have it. This way you can fend for yourself if you get singled out and can punch those two idiots if they start fighting.”

“Sounds good Sensei, and I’m sorry if I bothered you.”

“You didn’t. I’m just glad you want to be stronger, that drive is good. I expected you would want to start sticking up for yourself. Seeing you get trampled on was aggravating.”

“No I still will be trampled, I can’t beat them or I guess I won't. It's just...a mental thing with me. Never cared about winning, but maybe now I can actually have confidence.” Jiro just nodded and smiled as he waved his student away.

“Gross your feelings are showing. Now get to bed before your shift comes around.” Hikari smiled and clambered down tree to her hammock. Jiro rubbed his face in exasperation. He did not know how to deal with feelings but if this is what she wanted he wouldn’t say no. Toshiro and Masaru he could train but Hikari not so much now. He taught her all he could it was up to her to learn on her own. That said at least now he could focus on the two guys and hopefully get them in sync with each other. They will have some killer combos if this all worked out for the better. Jiro heard Hikari settle in her hammock now. Should be fun, teaching her a forbidden way of fighting.  

“Heh I am not paid enough for this,” Jiro whispered to himself while staring out into the night


End file.
